We'll Take the Usual
by Faulty Paragon
Summary: "Why do you always insist on going here? We can get food anywhere else-" "Because it makes me happy. It's a good place- and you deserve to know all the best places after what you've been through, right?" –Galo and Lio go to their favourite pizzeria every day for different reasons, captured in a short collection. Post-movie.
1. assist

A/N: I've had this kicking around in my head for a while, and managed to write the entire thing in one shot. I'll be uploading it over the next few days. If you have suggestions for other _Promare_ fics you'd like to see, be it in this style or another, please let me know!

Let me know what you think!

* * *

We'll Take the Usual

_assist_

Alarms began to ring, lights began to flash, and panic seized him. "I can't-"

But there was no chance for him to protest.

Before he knew it, Lio was being carried bodily into Burning Rescue's truck as the alarm bells echoed through the facility. He was plopped immediately into a chair next to Lucia, the young woman typing furiously as she hooked herself up to the communication system. Behind the two of them was a blur of activity in the tiny cabin as Galo, Varys, and Remi readied themselves for deployment. With Ignis at the wheel, they rumbled out of the station and zipped down the street towards the emergency.

Disoriented, he righted himself in the cabin, watching the team of firefighters efficiently ready themselves to face the flames yet again. His palms were sweating, eyes darting back and forth between the numerous screens filling up Lucia's workstation. _What am I even doing here?_

Suddenly, strong hands gripped his shoulders, shaking him heartily. Instinctively, Lio tugged himself away from the hold, twisting in his chair to look at the person standing behind him. To his surprise, it was Galo- he was half-suited up, having taken a pause despite all of Remi's scolding.

Galo grinned, teeth sharp and glinting in the neon lights from the screen as he looked down upon Lio's worried face. "You stay here and watch, Lio. Get ready- you'll be joining us soon."

Lio's face fell, heart dropping to his feet. "I- I can't-"

It was still too soon. _I'm not Burnish anymore. I'm don't have my powers! _Saying he would help rebuild Promepolis was one thing, but he wasn't a firefighter. He… he wasn't ready to face the flames again. Not yet.

He couldn't get a word out before he felt Galo's gloved hand lift his chin. "Hey," the rambunctious man cried, looking straight into his eyes- _god, _Lio hated when he did that, he just never knew what to _fucking say _to Galo- "you're one of us now. Okay?"

Lucia grabbed his chair and dragged it forward, out of Galo's grip and in front of a monitor. "Yeah, and that means you're going to _work!_" the girl cheered.

Frantically, Lio glanced back over his shoulder, pleading, "But I-"

Galo's smile and confidence didn't waver as he finished gearing up. Remi and Varys had already deployed, and so it finally his turn. "Where's the man I saved the world with a few weeks ago?" he quipped, standing by the port. "You've got this! I'll treat you to pizza afterwards!"

"What does _pizza _have to do with-"

But Galo had entered the fray, and all Lio could do was sit back in front of Lucia's monitors and watch the other man save lives as only he could.


	2. bounce

We'll Take the Usual

_bounce_

The slice in his hand was a simple one- just a little bit of pepperoni, a molten layer of melted cheese and a delicate wash of tomato sauce as a base. The crust was cooked perfectly, with that ideal mix between drip and bounce and snap. Everything about it should have been perfect.

And yet, all Lio could do was stare at the slice in front of him.

Upon Galo's third slice of his Inferno-Volcano-whatever-it-was, Lio's restraint was finally noticed.

"Lio, what are you doing?!" Galo cried, peering in far too close for Lio's liking. "Why aren't you eating? Are you sick?" Without even giving him a chance to respond, the man immediately pulled out his cellphone. After a few moments, he cried into the receiver, "Remi, Lio needs help, he-"

"Shut up," Lio hissed, swatting away Galo's concern. He quickly scooped up his pizza slice and took a bite, tearing at the item aggressively with his teeth. "See, I'm eating," he muttered around a mouthful.

Galo froze, taking a moment to contemplatively glance at the stubborn man.

Lio rolled his eyes and turned away, but in just a few moments, he was distracted by the taste. It was warm, nostalgic. He couldn't remember eating pizza for years, yet it was familiar nonetheless- despite the many years, the flavours of oregano and mozzarella instantly brought him back to-

He shook his head, placing the rest of the slice back down onto his plate. His fingers shook. It had been a long, long time since he had been able to enjoy something as innocent as a slice of pizza.

"You gonna finish that?" Galo asked gently.

Lio didn't raise his eyes. "No."

"Okay."

And they sat there on the porch of the pizzeria for a while after that. Galo said nothing else about how Lio didn't eat. Instead, he simply smiled. "My treat. You did great today on the mission, after all. You're officially the new rookie of Burning Rescue."

Lio bristled. Staying around wasn't his intention. He was meant to be a nomad, after all- Gueira and Meis were waiting for his heart to heal, and he knew that. Didn't Galo know it, too? "But I-"

But Galo shoved another slice of pizza into his mouth, and Lio had no choice but to quiet down and chew through another slice, and that was that.


End file.
